The track “Brighter Day” begins with the big bright and soulful voice of Everis Pellius, this track was my first introduction to the group Karltone. The story of how the group came together seems mostly about chance meetings and opportunities of fate that caused them all to cross paths. Band members were either discovered or made their way to the group through the internet. It’s a story of one happy accident after another, like the way they happened to choose the group’s name. We should probably start at the beginning; in fact the beginning is located in Marseille France.
If you happen to find yourself in the South of France you might have the opportunity to pass through the village of Faveau. It is the home of Karltone but you should take your time, as Fabien Reginaud the DJ of Karlone tells me, you could pass through the whole village in about 10mins. Though it is a small village it does have some landmarks like the huge pig that can be seen close to the entrance of the village. The vibe there is very laid back, easy going, quiet and peaceful. It is also home to Au Bagne the studio where the group creates its music. What began as a couple
of guys in the South of France wanting to make music has become a powerhouse group built on a love of all kinds of music especially “old school” as Fabien says. We’re talking “Earth Wind and Fire" people, we’re talking “Kool and the Gang.”
These days Karltone is made up of six people; Bass player Franck Galin, Saxophonist Nicolas Brigani, drummer Jose Cortes, Richard Larroze on keyboards, vocalist Everis Pellius and DJ Fabien Reginaud. Because the group members come from a diverse musical background they are able to flow between different musical styles quite easily and skillfully. Their tracks have elements of disco, jazz, Latin and Caribbean flavors. Clearly though they love dance music and their blending of other musical flavors make their dance music a standout.
The only word I have to describe Richard Larroze’s playing on the track “Palm trip “is superb. Fabien will tell you that Karltone’s music is about heart, the musicians put all they have into the music for the sake of the music. When you talk to Fabien you immediately get the impression that this is what is most important to the group. That heart is evident in the opening of “Brighter Day” Everis Pellius is the voice of Karltone. His voice is powerful, deeply soulful and clear. On tracks his voice is like a glue that helps to contain the power
